dry dandelion (2)

[Valerio Tarone]

Tid is the most geometric of these images. Nikon D300 70mm macro f4,5 1/60 EV-0.3 WB auto tripod
polariser filter. iso200
in pp normal as LCE curves, sharpness in USM 60-1-1 a bit of saturation.
Art, thanks, I think, in this case, a stronger DOF should have result in a non pleasant BG.
Critiques wellcome.

[Anita Bower]

I agree that more dof would have produced distracting background. That is always a challenge with outdoor macro photos. I like the centered composition and the focus on the fluffy parts of the dandelion, which nicely reflect light. You could crop some off the sides to eliminate some of the bg and make it more of a square--just one option. Thanks for sharing.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Valerio, I like the centered comp with the star like pattern to the dandelion. I would have preferred the lens to be focused more on the center of the dandelion though.

[Valerio Tarone]

thank you both. Andrew isn'it focused in the center? I've got 4 shots with aperture passing from 4 to 4,5 and EV 0 --0.7

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Valerio. I like the centered comp - it works well in this case. I would agree with Anita about cropping a little off the sides and you might also tone down the bright areas in the LLC. DOF is always an issue with an image like this and I would agree with Andrew about the focus. For my tastes, the image is not working that well because the tip of the central stalk (where the seeds attach) and the top row of seeds are OOF - your sharpest focus is on the layer of seeds below the top. IMO, the tip of the central stalk needs to be sharp to give your eye an anchor point to keep returning to. :S3:

[Valerio Tarone]

thank you Steve.I understand: I'll need the grandangular aim because I'm short-sighted, ypermetropic and astigmatic. For now,tone it in LLC, sharpening the centre, crop a little bit on the sides. OK.